DETROIT, United States (CMC) – The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) says officers have arrested several Caribbean nationals among 79 in a major enforcement action targeting “criminal aliens” and individuals who pose a threat to public safety.

ICE said on Wednesday that the officers made the arrests in the two-state region overseen by the Detroit office, which covers Michigan and Ohio.

Seventy-eight of the foreign nationals taken into custody by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers during the enforcement action had prior criminal convictions with the exception of one, who’s being charged federally with re-entry after deportation, ICE said.

It said nearly one third had criminal records that included felony convictions for serious or violent offences, such as child sex crimes, weapons charges and drug violations.

All of those arrested represented the agency’s two highest enforcement priorities ICE said.

“Operations like this highlight ICE’s ongoing commitment to prioritising convicted criminals and public safety threats for apprehension and removal,” said Rebecca Adducci, field office director for ERO Detroit. “By arresting and removing these individuals, we make an immediate and tangible impact on public safety.”

While the vast majority of those taken into custody are originally from Mexico – 53, ICE said 18 additional countries were represented, including Peru, Vietnam, Canada, United Kingdom, Philippines, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Laos, Bangladesh, India, Bahamas, Bosnia and Herzegovina, El Salvador, Cuba, Honduras, Haiti, Croatia, and Saudi Arabia.

Of the 26 counties where arrests occurred, west Michigan’s Kent County accounted for the largest number of apprehensions followed by Franklin County in Ohio.

Last year alone, ICE said ERO deported 315,943 individuals from the United States.